McDyess prepared to do whatever Pistons need

AP File PhotoPistons coach Michael Curry expects Antonio McDyess to be a more efficient scorer off the bench.

AUBURN HILLS -- Antonio McDyess has every reason to expect his role will be reduced this season.

The Detroit Pistons have several young frontcourt players who seem ready to play meaningful minutes. By McDyess' own admission, "I don't do all the things I used to do out there, as well as I used to do them."

While all agree that McDyess' role this season might change, his value to the Pistons remains high. This was evident in Detroit's first preseason game, a 95-91 overtime win at Miami.

McDyess scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter and in overtime, which included a layup with 3:30 to play in the extra session that proved to be the game-winning score. He wound up playing almost 23 minutes, more than all but four of his teammates.

On media day last week, McDyess joked about getting "Lindsey Hunter minutes" this season. Hunter played sparingly most of last season, but was used to greater extent as the Pistons got closer to the playoffs.

"I got a feeling that's not going to happen," McDyess said later.

Although Pistons coach Michael Curry has made playing the young players a priority this season, he's not about to let McDyess waste away at the end of the Pistons' bench. In fact, one of the reasons he decided to return McDyess to the bench was for McDyess to be a more efficient scorer.

"He can be more efficient if he's not out there with the starting unit," Curry said.

In McDyess' first four seasons in Detroit -- primarily as a backup -- he averaged 8.5 points on seven shots in 21.8 minutes per game. As a starter last season, he averaged 8.8 points, 7.7 shots and 29.3 minutes per game.

"You got so many guys who are capable scorers, guys that want to score the basketball," Curry said. "What we have on the second unit, we have a guy in (Rodney) Stuckey who could very well be a starter. When you got both of those guys anchoring your second unit, you allow your other role players to play their roles and not play outside of themselves."

Defining roles is part of what training camp is about. While it remains to be seen how much McDyess will play this season, he said he's preparing as though he'll have to play starter-like minutes.

"You have to be like that, because you never know what the team will need from you," he said. "I've always prepared that way. When I came here, I didn't really have any expectations of what my role would be or wouldn't be. I just wanted to help the team win a championship, that's all. I still feel the same way. However the coaches want to use me, or not use me, it's OK with me."

Stuckey stands out
Curry had been saying all summer that Rodney Stuckey's role would increase this season. True to his word, the second-year guard played a pivotal role in Detroit's preseason win against Miami. He led all scorers with 23 points, which included a game-tying basket with two seconds to play in regulation.

"I felt good," Stuckey told WDFN's Matt Dery after the game. "That's what is going to be going on throughout the year."